Printable Communication Boards: 5 Secrets to Know Before You Buy for Better Results

Printable communication boards can be an absolute game changer for language development when your child isn’t talking yet. Communication boards provide powerful visual support for language, which boosts understanding and makes imitation more likely. 

If you’re searching for some low tech communication boards, you’re probably looking for something simple and practical. 

But with so many options out there—some for school routines, some for home routines, some tied to specific AAC systems—it can feel overwhelming to know what to go with. That’s why it’s helpful to understand a few things before you download or print anything at all.

In this post, we’ll walk through important points you need to consider before you buy. You’ll learn what matters, what doesn’t, and why pairing your boards with predictable routines can make modeling more natural and effective.

We’ll go over how important it is to consider the routine you’re planning to use a board with. Most people think of mealtime boards, playtime boards, or simple communication board options built around basic needs…but one routine families often overlook is music. Music is one of the easiest, most engaging times of day to model language because your child already knows what to expect—the rhythm, melody, and repetition all work together to support comprehension.

That’s exactly why I create music-based communication supports. First Words Dance Party® is a collection of original songs written specifically for speech and language development. Unlike nursery rhymes—where the lyrics are cute but not always functional—each song is built around early-developing words and core vocabulary that makes imitation easier for children with speech delays and language disorders. Every lyric has a purpose, and every song is designed to help your child understand and use real, meaningful language.

If your late talker loves music, you might like my free guide: 5 Easy Steps to Kickstart Communication with Music for Speech Therapy at Home. It gives you simple, practical ways to capitalize on the proven benefits of music on language development to get your child engaged and imitating faster.

And with that, let’s dive into the most important things to consider before purchasing printable communication boards.

What are printable communication boards?

Communication boards are simple, low-tech AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) tools that show a set of words paired with picture symbols. AAC communication boards support receptive language, or understanding, while also supporting expressive language. They offer nonspeaking or minimally verbal children  a way to communicate by making language visual and accessible.

Communication boards provide visual support. When a child sees a picture symbol and hears the word at the same time, it boosts their receptive language (understanding), which is the foundation for expressive language (using words). 

How does an AAC communication board work?

The goal of a communication board is for children to initiate by pointing to the symbols. In order for them to do this, we have to teach them how it works. 

We do this with something called aided language stimulation- pointing to the symbols ourselves when we say the word within a meaningful context. Think of a communication board as a tool that supports the words you’re already saying. It doesn’t take the place of your speech; it just adds a visual element to it.

The benefits of using a communication board for autism

Many people on the autism spectrum are strong visual learners. When auditory processing is a challenge, it is incredibly beneficial to provide a child with visual support. 

This is what makes a communication board so effective for children on the autism spectrum; it provides natural, visual information to support the language as it is spoken. This helps a child to better understand what is being said, and receptive language (understanding) lays the foundation for expressive language (the thoughts, ideas, and feelings a child can express).

While you may see products marketed as an autism communication board, there aren’t any major distinctions between a board that will work best for an autistic child versus a child who isn’t on the autism spectrum.  

If your child has a speech delay, and you're wondering if they may be demonstrating characteristics of autism, you might appreciate this article: Autism or Speech Delay? How to Know for Sure When Your Wonderful Child's Not Talking.

The shift away from prompting and hand-over-hand

As you explore different printable communication boards pdf options, you may come across the term “PECS communication board”. PECS (the Picture Exchange Communication System) has been used for many years, especially in school settings, and some families still find parts of it helpful. But it’s important to understand what PECS is—and how current AAC practices have evolved.

PECS was originally built around teaching children to hand over a picture to communicate. In many early implementations, adults used hand-over-hand prompting to make a child pick up a symbol or complete the exchange. We now know much more about communication development, autonomy, and respectful prompting—and research strongly suggests that forcing hand-over-hand is not necessary and can even be counterproductive for many young learners.

Modern AAC research highlights a shift toward modeling, not manipulating:

• Dr. Carole Zangari (Praactical AAC) has written extensively about replacing hand-over-hand prompts with aided language input—modeling on the board yourself, without physically guiding the child’s hand.

• Senner & Baud (2016) recommend using least-to-most prompting and emphasize that modeling is often the most effective first step in AAC teaching.

• The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and other neurodiversity-affirming groups advocate for communication approaches that respect autonomy and avoid physical prompting unless absolutely necessary.

• ASHA also encourages modeling and responsive communication strategies as part of best-practice AAC intervention.

You don’t need to take your child’s hand or press their finger into a symbol. This can actually backfire when children become overly reliant on their communication partners to initiate for them. Instead, you simply model. You point to a word as you say it. You show the symbol during the routine. You pair the picture with the language you're using in the moment.

The benefits of low tech communication boards

Communication boards are considered no tech or low tech, because they don’t require any technology or power source to be used successfully. They work beautifully on their own, or as part of a larger multimodal communication approach alongside sign language and speech generating devices.

While high-tech options, like a speech generating device, can offer a robust communication system for children, communication boards can be the perfect starting point for AAC.

Printable communication boards are much cheaper than a speech generating device. Since they are low or no tech, you can always use them without needing to first charge a dead battery. And if you purchase a downloadable file, you can print as many copies as you like to keep in lots of different locations for frequent use.

5 Things you absolutely must consider before you buy a speech therapy communication board

While you may come across many types of printable communication boards online, the best match is one that will fit naturally into your daily routines and help your child stay engaged. That’s where the magic happens.

1. Consider when you’ll use your communication board printable

One of the most important things to think about when choosing a communication boards printable is when you’ll actually use them consistently. 

A board can be beautifully designed and full of great vocabulary, but if it doesn’t fit naturally into your day, then you may not find yourself using it frequently enough for your child to benefit.

For some families, a good routine to start with is snacktime. For others, it’s playing with favorite toys.. These may be the moments when you are not trying to multitask and can really prioritize being alongside your child to model as you eat or play.

We want a communication board printable to feel relevant and useful—not an extra thing you have to force that becomes too much to use.

So, the best bet is a board that:

• make it easy for you to point to and model words

• contain meaningful vocabulary your child regularly hears

2. Choose a routine when your child is actively engaged

When you Google “printable communication boards pdf” or “speech therapy communication board”, you’ll find hundreds of options—lunch boards, playground boards, bathroom boards, morning routine boards, and countless others. These can absolutely be helpful, but the most important thing to consider is how naturally a board fits into the routines of your day and how actively your child participates in those routines.

Kids learn best when they’re actively engaged. So if your child loves playing with water, a communication board for bathtime might be a great fit. If they love stacking, then a communication board for blocks makes sense. Communication boards for snacks and meals can work beautifully for repetition and consistency.

Children are most likely to watch you model with the communication board when they are actively engaged, and for active engagement, you need a routine that is motivating and predictable. 

Here’s why this matters:

• If you choose a board tied to a routine your child enjoys, you’ll have more natural opportunities to model words.

• If you choose a board tied to a routine your child tolerates but isn’t really motivated by, modeling may feel harder and less effective.

• If you choose a board tied to a predictable routine, your child will anticipate what’s happening. This helps them to follow along with you as you point to symbols.

You might not initially think of music as a “routine,” but for many families, it is the easiest one for speech and language success. Whether music is part of family hang out time, car rides, or even diaper changes or bathtime, music is consistently engaging and predictable—which makes it a surprisingly ideal setting for communication boards.

We’ll look more closely at music further on, but for now, the main idea is this:
To choose the right printable communication boards pdf file to download, it is important to consider when and how you'll use it to give your child access to visual communication during the times they are most engaged and motivated to communicate.

3. Make sure the vocabulary Is functional

As you explore different communication boards, you’ll notice a huge range of vocabulary styles. Some boards are designed for just one activity, with specific words tied to it—like a play dough board (“squish”, “roll”, “cookie cutter”) or a dinosaur play board (“T-Rex,” “stomp,” “cave”). These themed boards aren’t wrong—in fact, they can be fun and motivating during that one activity.

But if you and your child are new to AAC, you might want to consider going with communication boards that contain highly functional core words that can be used across lots of different kinds of activities.

Core vocabulary refers to a relatively small set of words that people use more than any others in the English language. These are words like: open, stop, go, on, off, more, stop, on, help, and want.

These are the kinds of words you’ll see on a core communication board, or a core board. Since a core board consists of the most common pronouns, verbs, and modifiers, you can use just one core board across multiple different activities, like:

• meals

• dressing, diaper changes, and toileting

• different play activities

• music 

And since you can use the same board for different routines, you and your child will remember where the different symbols are faster.

This doesn’t mean themed boards are bad; they have lots of specific words that can be really meaningful for the activity at hand. It's just worth considering which kind of approach you want to take when you're first starting out.

Repetition is key, and the more modeling you do, the sooner your child will learn how to use it

4. Consider how many symbols will work best for your child

As you search, you’ll notice that some boards are really simple and contain a lesser number of symbols. For example, you might find a mealtime board with only a handful of words, like: eat, drink, more, all done, yes, and no. There may be as few as four symbols.

Communication boards with fewer symbols can be an excellent starting point for some kids- especially for those with limited joint attention. The goal is to hit a sweet spot of presenting new vocabulary without the number of symbols on the board being too visually overwhelming.

Communication boards with fewer symbols can also be helpful for parents who are new to AAC and just getting their feet wet. If fewer symbols make it easier for you to model and give your child access, then that's a win!

5. Consider Why Music-Based Printable Communication Boards Work So Well

When families think about routines for communication boards, music isn’t always the first one that comes to mind—but it should be. Music is one of the most naturally engaging, predictable, and emotionally positive routines you can pair with a communication board.

And for young children with speech delays, using music in speech therapy is a no-brainer.

Music-based communication boards typically contain symbols for key vocabulary within a popular song. For example, a communication board for “Itsy Bitsy Spider” might contain symbols for spider, water spout, rain, and sun.

Here’s why music works so beautifully with AAC communication boards and core word modeling:

✨ Music is predictable.

Songs have built-in rhythm, repetition, and a predictable structure. Your child knows what words are coming next in a favorite song—even if they aren’t speaking yet. That predictability frees up attention and working memory. 

This makes it easier for them to focus on the picture symbols you’re modeling and for them to point to a word within a predictable phrase (like pointing to “up” during “The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout” in the Itsy Bitsy Spider).

✨ Music boosts engagement.

If your child loves music, then you know first-hand how just hearing the first few notes of a favorite song can capture their attention like nothing else.

Kids with speech delays and language disorders engage with music by swaying, smiling, vocalizing, dancing, and imitating actions when they can— long before they’re ready to sing the words consistently. This engagement creates natural opportunities for them to see you modeling and for them to imitate and communicate spontaneously.

For more on tapping into music to model core vocabulary, you can check out this article.

✨ Music offers natural repetition without prompting.

Repetition is essential for learning, especially for children who are just beginning to imitate. But repeating the same word ten times during a routine like mealtime can feel forced and awkward sometimes. Songs, however, repeat words naturally—and your child loves it.

✨ Music supports memory and motor planning.

Research has shown that melody and rhythm help children anticipate and remember language patterns. When you pair a word like “open,” “go,” or “more” with both a picture symbol and a predictable lyric, you’re giving your child multiple pathways for understanding.

✨ Music works for all communicators.

Music-based routines are especially supportive for:

• Children with speech delays

• Children with language disorders

• Gestalt language processors who process language in whole chunks rather than one word at a time.

• Nonspeaking and minimally verbal children

This is where music-based communication boards shine. When a board is aligned to a song, it gives your child clear visual support for the exact words you’re modeling—without overwhelming them with too many symbols.

And if you’re new to the idea of using music for speech therapy, you might find my free guide helpful: 5 Easy Steps to Kickstart Communication with Music for Speech Therapy at Home. You’ll discover how to use songs your child loves to finally get them imitating.

Music is already something your child enjoys. With the right support, you can turn that joy into meaningful language learning by helping them to finally start imitating.

Introducing the First Words Dance Party® Communication Boards Printable Toolkit

Once you know what to look for—functional vocabulary, modeling-friendly layouts, and routines your child finds motivating and engaging —it becomes much easier to choose communication boards that will actually support your child’s language growth. That’s exactly why I created the First Words Dance Party® Communication Boards Printable: Sing and Model Toolkit.

These boards are different from typical communication board printable options you might find online. Instead of being tied to a single activity or theme, each board pairs with a specific First Words Dance Party® song—and each song was written intentionally for speech and language development. 

Catchy songs with speech therapy strategies woven into every lyric 

First Words Dance Party® is a collection of fun, catchy, original songs written specifically to support early communication for children with speech delays and language disorders. Each lyric is crafted with speech and language strategies behind it, giving parents a simple, engaging way to encourage language. 

Here are a few examples:

• The Cookie Song: This kid favorite targets the core words yes and no, along with the words eat, want, what, doggie, and of course, cookie! This one is perfect for kids who aren’t yet gesturing or saying yes and no.

• Ready, Set, Go: This one uses a powerful strategy, called an anticipatory set, to promote engagement. It targets the opposite pair stop and go, along with the words push, pull, bubbles, uh-oh, oh no, more, and I. 

• It’s a Dance Party: Another kid favorite, this one teaches the names of body parts- llke eyes, nose, ears, hands, and feet. It also targets the words up and down, with plenty of functional examples in the lyrics (like clean up, pick me up, get down, slide down, etc.)

This core word lyrics video models the words up and down along with names of common body parts for a fun departure from "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes". This dance-y little number has some built in choreography.

You can stream First Words Dance Party® on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, and anywhere else you get your music.

These speech therapy songs and resources were created to give parents an easy, joyful way to model language at home—no waiting lists, no flashcards, no pressure. Just real connection and imitation through music that brings you and your child together.

Powerful visual support meets fun music for speech therapy

Because First Words Dance Party® songs are built around early core words (like open, more, go, on, stop, help, and want) and the most common words little ones tend to say first, the vocabulary on the board directly matches the most meaningful moments in the lyrics.

This means you’re not guessing which words to model.
You’re not trying to remember a script.
And you’re not relying on highly specific vocabulary that only fits one part of your day.

You have a visually-supported routine—singing songs—that naturally repeats the same highly functional words again and again, in a way that is fun and enjoyable.

Each board includes:

• Core words and common first words aligned to the song

• Clear picture symbols that make modeling easier

• Full song lyrics so you can sing with or without the songs as you point to the picture symbols

• A layout designed for aided language input, not hand-over-hand prompting

The result is a communication support that feels easy and natural. And because the vocabulary is so functional, you’ll also find plenty of carryover opportunities throughout the day even after music is over.

These boards were designed for:

• Young children with speech delays and language disorders

• Gestalt language processors, and

• Families who want a low tech communication boards option that’s easy to print and use immediately.

If you want to explore how these boards work or see the full pack, you can find them in the First Words Dance Party® Sing & Model Toolkit—a printable communication boards pdf set designed to bring every song to life with visuals. 

If you want to grab both the speech therapy songs and the boards together for the best value, you can check out the bundle here.

Imagine seeing your child point to the symbol for “open”, “eat”, or “help” when they’ve never been able to communicate those words before. Imagine hearing them say “mommy”, “yeah”, or “help” for the first time. 

Music-based communication boards may be the thing that’s missing to help your child go from being a passive listener to an active communicator.

Final Thoughts: A Printable Communication Boards PDF Can Make Language Easier—Especially with Music

When you focus on functional vocabulary, routines that motivate and engage your child, and natural language modeling, communication boards become one of the simplest, most meaningful tools you can use at home.

And when you pair a board with a predictable, joyful routine like music time, you give your child even more support—visual, auditory, and rhythmic cues working together to build understanding. Over time, this kind of repeated exposure makes it easier for your child to imitate, respond, and use words on their own.

Whether you use a core board, individual communication boards for specific activities, or a music-based board from First Words Dance Party®, the goal is the same: to help your child understand and express themselves with visual support.

Iff you’re curious to learn more about how to tap into music for speech therapy, you can grab my free guide, 5 Easy Steps to Kickstart Connection and Communication with Music for Speech Therapy at Home, for simple, parent-friendly ways to begin- plus song choice cards so your child can choose their favorites.

For a child who is struggling to understand language and express themselves verbally, communication boards can make a world of difference. I hope that this article has helped give you a much clearer idea of what to look for in your printable communication boards search so you can settle on the absolute best ones before you buy.

FAQ: AAC, communication boards, and Using Visuals at Home

Below are some answers to commonly asked questions.

How does a communication board, aac, and modeling help with speech and language?

Printable communication boards are low-tech AAC tools that use picture symbols to support understanding and communication. They help by giving your child something to see while hearing the word as it is spoken, making it easier to process language and imitate. Pointing to the symbol as you say a word is a natural way to model language and make it more accessible for your child.

How do I use a communication board for non verbal toddlers or preschoolers?

For nonspeaking or minimally verbal children, you use the board by modeling, not by forcing them to point. Simply touch the symbols as you say the words during everyday routines. This shows your child how the board works and gives them a low-pressure way to follow along. Research from ASHA and PrAACtical AAC supports modeling (aided language input) over hand-over-hand prompting.

Is there a simple communication board I can use across the whole day?

Yes—core communication boards, or core boards, are designed for cross-routine use. They include early, functional vocabulary like open, go, more, stop, help, I, you, want, in, and out. 

A core board includes words that make up the majority of what we say every day. These early core words are powerful because they help a child make requests, protest, comment, and participate. SLPs use core boards because they give the biggest communication return and allow carryover into many routines.

What’s the difference between a core communication board and a PECs communication board?

A PECS communication board is tied to the Picture Exchange Communication System, which historically used hand-over-hand prompting to help children pick up and exchange individual symbols. Modern AAC and neurodiversity-affirming practice emphasize modeling instead. 

Sometimes people use the word “PECS” generically when they mean “visuals”- sort of like saying “Band Aid®” instead of “bandage” or “Kleenex®” instead of “tissue”. PECS is actually a specific brand with a specific methodology.

By comparison, a core communication board doesn’t require exchanging pictures as all of the symbols are on one page. Instead, you model the words by pointing and speaking, which research supports as effective and respectful. 

Are low tech communication boards effective for speech therapy at home, or do I need a high tech device?

Research consistently supports low tech communication boards as powerful tools for increasing understanding and supporting communication. They’re easy to print and use during everyday routines and are especially helpful for families who want a simple way to start with AAC. While dynamic communication devices are also highly effective, they are much more expensive, with a significant learning curve for both a child and their parents.

I’m not sure if my child is on the autism spectrum or not. Do I need a specific communication board autism resource for this to be effective?

Nope! Communication boards support receptive and expressive language for all children with speech delays—not only autistic children. Since many children on the autism spectrum are strong visual learners, and AAC is perfect for visual learners, you will find many printable communication boards marketed toward autism.